Depression Chicken Fricassee Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient

Depression Chicken Fricassee Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient. The kind of humble, hearty supper grandma made stretch — raw chicken, a can of evaporated milk, and three pantry staples transform into the creamiest old-fashioned gravy you’ve ever spooned over a plate of noodles.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• bone-in chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks work well) → 2.5 pounds
• salt → 1 teaspoons
• black pepper → 0.5 teaspoons
• evaporated milk (12-oz can) → 1 pieces
• condensed cream of mushroom soup (10.5-oz can) → 1 pieces

Depression Chicken Fricassee: Steps

1. Arrange the chicken: Lay the raw 2.5 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks work well) across the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, spreading them into as even a layer as you can manage so nothing is piled too high and the heat can reach every piece.
2. Season generously: Scatter the 1 teaspoons salt and 0.5 teaspoons black pepper evenly over every piece of chicken. That simple two-part seasoning is what builds the warm, old-fashioned backbone of flavor the creamy sauce will wrap itself around.
3. Mix the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 pieces evaporated milk (12-oz can) together with the 1 pieces condensed cream of mushroom soup (10.5-oz can) until the soup loosens and the two come together into a fairly smooth, pourable mixture — it doesn’t need to be perfectly silky, just well combined.
4. Pour and cover: Pour the creamy soup mix over the chicken and make sure all the pieces are nicely covered. The sauce will look quite loose and thin at this stage — don’t worry, it slowly tightens into a rich, spoon able gravy as it simmers away.
5. Slow cook low and slow: Set the lid on, and cook on LOW for 6 to 360 minutes
   360:00
   or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender and the internal temperature reads a safe 165°F (74°C).
6. Adjust the gravy: Once the cook time is up, give the gravy a taste and nudge the seasoning with an extra pinch of salt or pepper if needed. If you’d like it a little thicker, simply take the lid off and let the crock sit on WARM for 10 to 12m 30s
   12:30
   , or ladle some of the hot gravy into a bowl and allow it to settle and thicken for a few minutes before bringing it back.
7. Serve hot: Plate the chicken pieces while they’re still piping hot and ladle that glossy, cozy fricassee gravy generously over the top. Spoon it over fluffy mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or a mound of steamed rice — whatever your family reaches for first.

Notes

This recipe is easy to change and still turns out good. You can use cream of chicken or cream of celery instead of cream of mushroom if you have those at home. It will still taste warm and yummy. A pinch of garlic powder or onion powder stirred into the sauce before pouring adds a gentle depth without any extra work. Leftovers keep beautifully in the fridge for up to three days and reheat gently on the stovetop with a small splash of broth or water to loosen the gravy back up.